Luke Neima's blog

The next ABCtales Reading is in just under two weeks - Wednesday, March the 26th at the Wheatsheaf in London - and we've got an excellent roster of readers. If you haven't already, make sure to book the evening off to hear from Stan , Bee , Akanbi, TFH, BarelyBlackFrancis, Rhiannonw, Robert of the Queen Mary University Creative Writing Society, Aidan Cottrell-Boyce, Joe and Elsie Katz – it's bound to be an incredible night and we'll look forward...

So, ABCers – as of today I am a published author! My book B is for Breast Cancer is actually in the shops today and it started right here… I wrote the book when I was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Five years ago, aged 45, I found myself diagnosed with the disease and my first thought was for my ten-year-old son. Then I worried about how my poor old mother would cope with the news. And then, and I’m not kidding, I thought – what about...

A weekend of unseasonably warm weather is upon us lucky few down in the England's southern portion, and not a moment too soon. I hope you all get a chance to enjoy some of it, to take in a little nature and maybe follow in the footsteps of the romantics (that’s what this week’s IP is about: http://www.abctales.com/inspiration-point-ip ), but even if you’re stuck somewhere that's still obeying traditional seasonal rules, take a moment to breathe...

It's the last day of February, and we're already sliding into something like spring - although it's still wetter and colder and darker than any kind of spring I want any part of. But it keeps bringing us stories and poems, more and more of them. There's enough good writing on ABCtales, I realise, to keep a man happily reading all day every day, like old Prince Carlos of Viana. We have some good news, as ABCer Akanbi - Samuel Aina - publishes his...

Well we have some fantastic picks for you this week! Our story of the week is an ABC debut, from new author TFH. ‘The Late Bus’ is a sophisticated and psychologically charged story about a middle-aged autistic man taking his aging mother on a trip to Lancaster. When she dies he is unable to feel any emotion – and the work that results is a fascinated window into a different kind of mind. An outstanding debut and the first, I hope of many: http...

Exciting news this week, as another ABCtales member publishes her work! Christine Hamill's 'B is for Breast Cancer' is now out with Hachette - have a look, like the page, share it with your friends and buy a copy: https://www.hachette.co.uk/books/detail.page?isbn=9780349401348 Christine's promised to share her story in a special guest blog that won't be long in coming - so watch this space for more about her work. But for now I'll turn to picks...

February's off to a sharp start. Flooding and tube strikes, gloomy weather and the controversial opening of the Winter Olympics in Russia, not to mention the death of the incredible Philip Seymour Hoffman. And some of it must be inspiring, as this has been one of the hardest weeks to make a pick of the week in a long long time. Please, for your own benefit, have a look at the cherry-page and make your way through some of the incredible poems and...

This past Saturday ABCtales took The Black Swan in York by storm. It was a night to remember: we had a huge turnout and a suite of incredible readings that ran the gamut from daff-picking to Italian cooking, African vacations to dopplegangers, social workers to microwave ovens. The stories and poems were stunning, punctuated by a ukulele serenade from Miss Jacqui Wicks and a digital cameo from HudsonMoon - who made an appearance all the way from...

Tomorrow is ABCtales’ get-together in the North – we’ll be meeting at The Black Swan in York from 18:30 – and it promises to be an incredible time. If you haven’t planned your Saturday yet, book a ticket, borrow a car, get your nan to give you a lift: do what you need to do to be there! Among the readers will be VeraClark, whose ‘Tissue Atlas’ is our Story of the Week. This piece is a remarkable biography told in the style of a human atlas. The...

ABCtales is hosting a get-together in the north this weekend! On Saturday , 1st February 2014, we will be meeting at The Black Swan in York (23 Peasholme Green, YO1 7PR). There will be readings beginning at 18:30 and on until 20:30, but the conversation and catch-up will no doubt go on for much longer. This is the perfect opportunity to hear a live performance from a very talented roster of ABC's authors. But on top of our usual reading model we...